Anchored in Evidence: A Trailblazer's Journey with Deshanie Rai

 In this episode of Supplement Source, host Jeff Ventura sits down with Deshanie Rai, newly appointed Head of Global Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Kemin Industries, and 2025 recipient of the CRN Radicle Science Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award. Deshanie reflects on what the award meant to her — a recognition of fearless leadership, innovation, and the courage to take risks. She shares candid insights from her unconventional career journey, from navigating challenges in South Africa to building her professional path in the United States from scratch, moving across scientific affairs, regulatory, quality assurance, advocacy, and beyond. Deshanie also offers advice to the next generation of industry professionals: stay anchored in evidence, think across disciplines, stay curious, and don't wait for permission to make your voice heard. As the 2026 award season kicks off, she passes the torch with both humility and inspiration. More info: https://www.crnusa.org/trailblazer

About the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) 
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973 and based in Washington, D.C., is the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement and functional food industry. Bringing together manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and service providers, CRN unites its member companies around a shared commitment to science, transparency, and responsible business practices—advancing a strong, credible marketplace that supports consumer health and industry growth.

In an increasingly complex regulatory and media environment, CRN serves as the industry’s front line—shaping science-based policy, defending market access, and countering misinformation. Through strategic advocacy, self-regulatory leadership, voluntary guidelines, and evidence-based communications, CRN ensures that responsible companies are recognized, protected, and positioned to innovate and compete. Learn more at crnusa.org and follow @CRN_Supplements on X and LinkedIn.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Please note the Council for Responsible Nutrition, CRN, does not endorse any guest appearing on this podcast or any products or services they may discuss. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of CRN. Thank you and enjoy the episode.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

You are listening to Supplement Source, the official podcast of the Council for Responsible Nutrition. And now your host, Jeff Ventura.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Hello, and thank you for listening to Supplement Source. My name is Jeff Ventura. I'm the Director of Communications here at the Council for Responsible Nutrition. And I am joined by none other than Deshani Ray. How are you, Deshani?

SPEAKER_03 0:51

Very well, Jeff. Lovely to join you today.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

Deshani, you have professional news for us. You've moved from one member company to another.

SPEAKER_03 1:01

I have, I have, and I am feeling very grateful for the new opportunity at uh Keman How. Still going to be very actively involved in the industry with advocacy efforts, and equally importantly, supporting Kemen in their regulatory and quality assurance leadership roles in the neutroceutical industry.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

And that would be as head of global regulatory affairs and quality assurance. Do I have that right?

SPEAKER_03 1:27

You got that correct, yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Well, we are here today to talk about kind of a fun subject. Uh the 2026 CRN Radical Science Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award season is upon us. You won it last year, so we wanted just to connect, get your perspective on the year in retrospect and what the award meant for you, and what do you think it's going to mean and what should it mean for the recipient of for 2026?

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Yeah, I appreciate the question. And I do uh want to start this uh discussion, conversation with a sense of gratitude. Uh a gratitude to all those, uh, of course, first to Dr. Annette Dickinson for paving the path forward for uh for CRN and establishing CRN as a responsible, trusted uh trade association, the biggest, I believe, in the United States. I sense of gratitude to my champions who have helped me blaze the trail I have and the journey that I have set foot on thus far. And I do want to say that for me, this award is it speaks to leadership, it speaks to innovation, but equally importantly, it speaks to having the courage to take risks and go outside your comfort zone. Truly, that has been a hallmark feature of my career, all the way from I would say completing my secondary education through to, you know, uh basic undergrad in South Africa. I had many odds stacked against me. And uh, you know, it just took courage to navigate those challenges, start my professional journey here in the United States from ground zero, standing with conviction, you know, cut it, you you need courage to stand with conviction, to be willing to say no and give alternatives at the same time. And yeah, here I am today. So I'm really grateful that through this ability to lead fearlessly, uh, take on new challenges, work in ambiguity, I am where I am today. So really grateful to CRN and Radical Science for acknowledging that.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

You make such a good point. It reminds me of the word trailblazer and how trailblazer uh often means reinvention of oneself. Uh you describe, you know, you describe your professional journey as being at ground zero and sort of it was sort of a hard reset. What is your take on that in terms of that being something that sometimes you have to do if you want to blaze that trail?

SPEAKER_03 4:07

Yeah, 100%. You know, and I think you know, for me, my journey has not been the traditional one. I would say I didn't I didn't have a playbook, so to speak, to to work off and you know, to guide to guide me as I uh made my way through the through my career. Uh I'm I'm grateful that I came in with an attitude of openness, a willingness to learn and grow and experience new skill sets and capabilities, having the courage to go outside my comfort zone. So that had has allowed me to navigate and transcend transcend roles and responsibilities in scientific affairs, in medical affairs, in regulatory, quality assurance, advocacy, medical marketing. For someone who wants to set new paths, there needs to be this openness, willingness to persist, to prevail, and it's okay if you fail. I think that's really, really important to pick yourself up, start again.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

There's one thing that's certain, right? Is that along the way, at some point, you will fail.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

100%.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

Yeah. You know, as I say, I don't mean to sound cliche here, but failure is a stepping stone to success. And um for me, uh there have been things that I have tried uh early on in my career, realized very quickly, mm-mm, uh not for me. And then you pivot, you know, you find the courage and you find the the resources, you um you you take strength and guidance from your network to pivot and find new ground.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Not to talk about age, but you and I are similarly aged. Um and so when you when you think about the younger generation coming into the industry now, and I'm speaking specifically of you know someone who uh might be recognized for this award, what kind of advice would you give them, you know, reflecting on on the past year of you know being the standard bearer for this honor?

SPEAKER_03 6:17

No, I appreciate that. And uh, you know, I I do I do believe our future lies in the hands of our up-and-coming um scientists, uh professionals, uh irrespective of their functional expertise. And uh, you know, the advice I find myself giving most often really comes down to a few core principles, right? The first is to stay anchored as a scientist, as a data analyst, irrespective of your function. You gotta be you gotta be anchored in evidence, even when it's not the easiest or the fastest path forward. In this industry in particular, there's always pressure to move quickly or follow trends. But I believe long-term credibility really comes from consistency and rigor. The second advice I would give is you know, learn how to think across disciplines. That's exactly what I did as I grew through my career. It's not enough to be strong in just one area, uh, whether that's science, regulatory, quality, communications, medical marketing, the real impact happens when you understand how all of those pieces connect together and influence each other. The third advice is uh, and I alluded to this already, always stay curious and open. That's what really helped me pave my path forward. Especially early in your career. Ask questions, seek out perspectives from those who may not be in your swimlings. Don't be afraid to challenge assumptions, including your own assumption. Sometimes you can become your own enemy, you can get in your own way. And it's important to separate that and challenge your own notions, perspectives, and assumptions. And the one advice I think I would really give to any individual, especially those who are starting young in the field, is I always remind people and myself, our voices really matter. And the earlier we uh speak up, the better uh I believe it is for us. So we don't have to wait uh to be at a certain level to contribute meaningfully. You just need to be thoughtful, grounded, and you know, willing to engage. That can open so many doors for us.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

And listening to your response, I came up with a memoir title for you: Anchored in Evidence.

SPEAKER_03 8:29

Oh, I love it. That's me, for sure. That is so me.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

This is really uh kind of what we what we wanted to hear about from you. Um it's just great to sort of catch up and hear. I mean, talk about trailblazing, right? Here you are, you've you've uh moved, you've you know, you've you've in a new role. Uh it sounds like you've got your hands full uh with uh the global in your title, so that's exciting. Um the the trailblazing continues even as you pass the torch, it seems.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

100%, yes. And I you know, I think in my DNA is one that's really rooted in growing myself, learning, giving back. And that for me is what trailblazing is all about. Giving back not just to the organizations I work at, but giving back to the industry, giving back to the trade associations like CRN, giving back to young professionals, and most importantly, giving back to the people that we serve every day, the people who we are developing the science for, the products and the formulations, um, the communications, you know, educating, disseminating that all the great work we all do as an industry. And so that for me is how I give back. That's for me what it means for me to be a trailblazer.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

Thank you so much to Shani Ray. You know you're welcome back on Supplement Source anytime.

SPEAKER_03 9:57

I love it. Thank you so much.